An Owner For Christmas
by AwesomeDuskAngel
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and the Duck Hunt Dog misses his owner. His duck friend decides to help him out by giving him the most wonderful gift he could ask for: a temporary owner. Because of this, an unlikely friendship forms between the dog and a certain Hylian. For Smash King24's Christmas Contest 2014.


**A/N: Finally, it's done! This is my entry for Smash King24's 2014 Christmas Contest. :]**

**I will be continuing with "Unexpected Surprises" very, ****_very_**** soon...tomorrow, hopefully. We'll see. Also, I got Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and I'm ****_obsessed_**** with it! 8D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Bros. or its characters. I also do not own any songs mentioned in this fanfiction.**

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><p>Christmastime in the Smash Mansion, much like the previous years, was a magical, joyous occasion. The mansion was always adorned with red and green decorations, and a tall, majestic Christmas tree that stood in the living room attracted attention each year with its gold and silver ornaments and shiny presents that were just <em>begging <em>to be opened. Snow fell gently from the sky at least one out of the four weeks in December; it would often fall around Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so a "white Christmas" would almost always be guaranteed. Around that time, Master Hand and Crazy Hand would plan some fun events leading up to Christmas Day. All of it was absolutely wonderful! But do you know what the best part of Christmas in the Smash Mansion was?

It was how the Smashers cared for each other.

Yes, every year, all of the Smashers (even the villains!) would go shopping for their friends and lovers. It didn't matter how expensive the gift was; all that mattered was the love and heart that was put into it. _That_ was the best part of Christmas.

As a matter of fact, it was _so _amazing...that that is where our story is going to begin!

It was December 24th, Christmas Eve, and the Duck Hunt Duo had just exited one of the stores in the town near the mansion. They had just finished buying presents for their friends. As the duo walked (or, in the duck's case, waddled) down the sidewalk, Ella Fitgerald's _Sleigh Ride_ played over an intercom. They were perhaps some of the jolliest Smashers of all, singing along to the Christmas tune, although...a little off-pitch, I must add. Fortunately, they didn't care about how terrible they sounded; they had Christmas spirit, and that was all that really mattered to them.

When the instrumental part of the song started, the dog started a conversation in his own dog-language. "Woof! (This is a great song!)"

The duck, having been around the dog for most of his life, could fluently understand the dog. "Quack! (I know!)"

"Woof, woof. (The trombone sounds kind of like you.)" The dog proceeded to laugh his infamous laugh.

"Quack quack, (Oh, quiet, you,)" responded the duck, giving his friend an irritated look.

"Woof, (It was a joke,)" said the dog with a jolly smile. "Woof, woof woof? (Anyway, what do you think of the gifts so far?)"

"Quack! (Great!)" the duck answered. "Quack. (I hope they like them.)" The chorus started up again, and the duo resumed their joyous duet. As they did this, a light snowfall began; soon enough, the streets, the sidewalk, and the roofs of the stores were covered in the white, powdery stuff.

A minute or two after the song had ended, the duck began waddling closer to the dog, pressing his body against his for warmth. "Quack! (Wait 'til I see what I got you!)" said the duck.

"Woof! (I can hardly wait!)" the dog said excitedly. Just then, another song began playing: Perry Como's _Home For the Holidays_. Much like the last song, the dog and duck sung along, filled with Christmas spirit... At least, the dog sang along for the first minute. Soon, however, thoughts of his owner, whom he had left to participate in the tournament, entered his mind. "Woof...woof woof? (Hey, duck...how do you think he's doing?)"

" _Quack, quack quack… (Oh, there's no...)_" He ceased singing and quirked an eyebrow at the dog. "Quack, quack? Quack! (Who, our owner? He's probably doing just fine!)"

The dog's happy expression lessened slightly. "Woof? (Do you miss him?)" He sniffed the snow on the sidewalk for no particular reason.

"Quack... Quack! Quack! (A little... That's okay, though! No matter how far away he is, he still loves us, and he's still thinking about us!)" the duck responded optimistically.

After pondering this statement for a moment, the dog shook his head and laughed. "Woof! Woof? (You're right! What was I thinking, telling myself that he's so far away?)" He said this as if he really meant it, but, deep down, he still wished that his owner was there with him.

Now, since the duck and dog had been together for many years, the duck could easily tell that his friend hadn't really meant what he had said. Instead of trying to offer him more comforting words, however...he had a different plan.

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><p>Hours later, the duck was in the mansion's living room, staring Princess Peach in the face; he had told the dog that he was wrapping his Christmas present (only God knows how a <em>bird<em>, of all things, could wrap a present!), and that he should play outside with some other Smashers while he was doing so. What he was doing right now was sort of true; he was searching for the dog's present, which would be a "temporary owner" of sorts. He had already asked the Wii Fit Trainer and Palutena, but they had both politely declined.

"Hello!" Peach greeted, smiling sweetly. "Are you finished with your shopping already?"

"Quack! (Yep!)" the duck answered. "Quack, quack. Quack? (Actually, I was wondering about something. Would you be interested in being a temporary owner for Duck Hunt Dog?)"

A look of confusion formed on her face. "Oh, that's right...I don't speak duck." She giggled and rubbed the duck's head affectionately. "You have snow on you! Are you trying to ask me to help you get it off?" She turned to look at Zelda, who was assisting her in decorating the large Christmas tree. "Be careful with that one! It's one of my favorites."

Zelda made a mental note to be extra careful with the gold ball ornament with the silver swirls. "Don't worry, Peach! I've got it!" She smiled and held up the ornament so that Peach could see that it was not broken, then hung it on the tree.

"Quack! (Peach!)" the duck cried, flapping his wings up and down in a desperate attempt to get Peach's attention.

Peach sighed and adjusted her Santa hat. "I'm really sorry, duck. I don't know what you're trying to tell me." She walked over to a large, cardboard box and picked up an ornament.

Curious about what was going on between the other two Smashers in the room, Zelda climbed down from the stepladder that she had been standing on and turned to Peach. "What's going on?"

"I can't understand what the duck's trying to say," she answered, crossing her arms, still holding onto the ornament.

Zelda glanced at the duck, then back at the other princess. "Well...normally, I would be happy to help you, but I don't speak duck either."

At that moment, Link, who was wearing a dark green sweater, entered the living room. He had just been going to find Marth and Ike so that they could watch _Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer_ together, but he had somehow overheard the princesses' conversation. Having been turned into a wolf once, Link was pretty good at understanding animals' thoughts and feelings; this didn't mean he could actually have a fluent conversation with them, though.

Interestingly enough, the duck was the first to notice Link's presence. "Quack! (Link!)"

Zelda gasped and almost dropped the ornament she was holding. "That's it! Link may be able to help us."

Link nodded at the princesses and knelt down so that he could see the duck better. "What do you need to tell them?" he asked with a smile.

"Quack! Quack, quack quack! (Finally! Anyways, I was wondering if either of them could be a temporary owner for the Duck Hunt Dog; I don't want him to feel lonely on Christmas!)" the duck explained.

"Hm..." Link thought for a moment, then looked back up at the princesses. "I think he wants one of you to be the Duck Hunt Dog's temporary owner. He says that it's Christmas, and that he doesn't want him to be alone."

Peach and Zelda almost cried when they heard this... Okay, Peach actually _did_ cry. Zelda teared up a little bit, but she kept her composure much better than her friend.

"I had no idea..." Zelda murmured, staring in shock at the duck.

"Th-That's so sad!" Peach cried, bawling into her hat. "I wish there w-was something we could do!"

Zelda sadly looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry. I really would love to, I really would, but...I can't. I'm busy today, what with it being Christmas Eve and all that..."

Poor Peach couldn't respond, for she was still crying her eyes out.

"Quack... (That's okay...)" the duck said dejectedly.

Just as the duck was about to give up, he felt a hand on the top of his head; it was Link!

The Hylian, having been apart from his family for practically his whole life, knew what it felt like to miss someone. It was even worse for him because he didn't even _have_ a biological family...at least, he didn't have one that was still living.

He stared at the duck with a serious expression. "I'll do it."

Hopeful, the duck smiled. "Quack? (Really?)"

Link nodded. "Yes." He stood up and looked around. "Where is he?"

The duck quacked at him and proceeded to lead him through the hallway and down the stairs, out one of the doors, and into the courtyard. In a patch of snow-covered grass beyond the courtyard, the Duck Hunt Dog, Ness, Yoshi, and Pikachu were having a snowball fight.

"I've got you now, Pikachu!" Ness shouted as he quickly made a very lumpy snowball. After dodging a snowball that was thrown by Yoshi, he threw his at Pikachu.

"Pika! (Ah!)" Pikachu cried as the snowball hit him in the face. He shook the snow off of his face and flung a snowball of his own at Ness.

The Duck Hunt Dog crouched down in the snow so that no one could hit him, made a snowball, and threw it at Ness.

"Ah!" Ness put his hand on the back of his head, where the snowball had hit him. Gradually, he turned to the dog and gasped in horror. "Not you too..."

The dog laughed.

"Quack! (Hey, dog!)" the duck called.

"Woof? (What's up?)" the dog asked as he dodged a snowball.

The duck and Link made their way over to the duck, temporarily pausing the game... Haha. That's funny. Pausing the game... You know, 'cause they're... Ah, never mind.

Link gently tapped the dog. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"

After getting nods of approval from the other three Smashers involved in the snowball fight, he smiled and nodded at Link. With cold, snow-covered feet and paws, the trio walked into the mansion.

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><p>Fortunately, it was much warmer inside the mansion than it was outside. Ever since the colder months had begun, the thermostats had been turned up, the air vents had started blowing warm air on the Smashers, and thick blankets had been brought out for everyone. At the current moment, Link and the Duck Hunt Dog were sitting on the large sofa in the living room, both comfortable under a large, dark blue blanket. The duck, not wanting to interfere with their...important conversation...decided to help Peach and Zelda decorate the tree; he was especially helpful with the parts of the tree near the top, where it was difficult for the princesses to reach.<p>

"Woof? (What did you want to talk about?)" the dog asked, his tongue hanging out of his mouth in an adorable way.

Link chose his words carefully. "...I know how it feels."

"Woof? (What?)" the dog asked.

"I know how it feels to..." Link almost felt tears come to his eyes. "I know how it feels to miss someone."

"...Woof? (Really?)" the dog asked, his smile fading slightly.

Link nodded. "...Every time I went on an adventure to save Hyrule, I...I always had to leave my family behind." He sighed and looked down.

The dog whimpered and put a paw on Link's arm sympathetically. The way he spoke to him...it reminded him of his owner.

Link shook his head, wiped a tear away from one of his eyes, and smiled at the dog. "I don't want you to feel lonely, since it's Christmas Eve." He stroked the dog's head. "I'll be your owner for today and Christmas Day."

When he heard those words, the dog's eyes widened. What did he do then?

He put his front paws on Link and licked his face. Despite Link's protests, the dog continued to do this for a while.

Meanwhile, the duck was sitting on top of the star at the top of the tree, feeling happy that he was able to give his best friend the most wonderful gift of all: love.

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><p><strong>I hope that this story warmed your hearts! Remember, no matter how far away you may be from your loved ones, they are always with you. Merry (belated) Christmas! :]<strong>

**(...I tried to make a Christmas tree at the end of this, but it didn't work. QAQ)**

**~AwesomeDuskAngel**


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